After Labor & Delivery Resources

The Golden Hour

The first hour of your baby’s life – called the “Golden Hour” – is the beginning of a lifelong bond between you and your child. During the Golden Hour, it benefits both mother and baby to have skin-to-skin contact, where the mother holds her baby against her skin, near her heart. Studies show that a close mother-child bond is critical for the baby’s ongoing growth and development. Skin-to-skin care during the Golden Hour is so important, and we want to do everything we can to provide you with the opportunity of sharing this special time with your newborn.

Typical Benefits of Skin-to-Skin Care:

Babies:

Breastfeed better

Tend to be calmer and cry less

Stay warmer

Have more regulated blood sugar levels

Have benefits to their immune system

Have more stable heart, respiratory and oxygen rates

Mothers:

Breastfeed more easily and make more breast milk

Bond more with your baby

Gain confidence and satisfaction from caring for your baby

Learn when your baby is getting hungry by your baby’s cues

How to Hold Your Baby Skin-to-Skin:

As soon as possible after the birth, hold your dried baby against your chest and tummy, facing you with his/her arms hugging you.

Cover your baby’s back with several layers of blankets. A hat and a diaper are also a good idea.

Enjoy the closeness and bonding with your baby, uninterrupted. Ask your family and friends to give you and your baby privacy during the Golden Hour, and wait to welcome the baby until after you have shared this special time alone together.

Our staff is dedicated to supporting you and your baby while delivering personalized care. Please tell your nurse if you prefer not to participate in the Golden Hour or skin-to-skin care. We are here to assist you to ensure that you have a wonderful birth experience.

24-Hour Rooming-In

Rooming-in provides a warm, comfortable and quiet atmosphere that allows the bonding process to continue. You and your baby will be cared for by nursing staff in the comfort and convenience of your own room. Our top-notch nursing staff provides personalized care for your baby at your bedside, offering the education and support your family needs to welcome the new baby into your lives and routines. Your partner or support person is also encouraged to get involved in the educational process and newborn care. Your nurse will assist you with feeding, bathing and any questions you may have on how to care for your baby. You will also receive instructions on how to care for yourself after having your baby.

Breastfeeding

Research shows that breastfeeding benefits both babies and their moms. It reduces the child's risk for developing many types of infections and helps the mom recover from the stress of pregnancy, labor and delivery. The Memorial Hermann team of skilled and knowledgeable in-house lactation consultants provides a full spectrum of services to help mothers with questions regarding lactation before birth, during delivery and after your hospital stay. All of our nursing staff receives additional, specialized training in supporting breastfeeding moms.

Before delivery, we offer regularly scheduled classes about breastfeeding. If you have questions related to breastfeeding or need help beginning and maintaining lactation, we offer bedside consultations and have specialists to assist you during your hospital stay.

Views or opinions presented in this video are solely those of the physician(s) or presenter(s) and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Memorial Hermann Health System. This video is presented to the public for educational purposes only and Memorial Hermann Health System is not responsible for its content. Patients should consult a physician regarding the diagnosis and treatment of any medical condition.

Infant Security

We take infant security and safety very seriously and have implemented numerous precautions to protect you and your baby. Our sophisticated monitoring system ensures the highest hospital security for you and your newborn, offering you peace of mind.

During your stay, you and your baby will be wearing matching identification bands, and your baby will have a security tag that monitors their location at all times. Memorial Hermann provides a secure area with all entrances and exits monitored, and security cameras throughout the unit. Alarms are generated if a strap is cut or tampered with, if the infant is moved to an unauthorized area, or if a tag’s signal is no longer detected.

As a parent, you play an important role in the security of your baby.

Identification is assured by checking infant bracelets.

Hospital employees will identify themselves verbally, and those who care for babies wear a special pink ID badge.

If someone appears improperly identified, you should question him or her and/or call your nurse for assistance before allowing that person to care for you or your baby.

Security sensors are applied at delivery and removed at the time of discharge. Do not attempt to remove this sensor at any time. If the sensor appears too tight or loose, please notify your nurse.

Infants should never be left unattended in patient rooms. Your nurse or patient care assistant will be happy to assist you.

Infants are only transported in a hospital-provided crib by hospital staff.

If the infant is receiving care in the NICU, all patients are required to utilize a special ID number or “code” to visit or to receive telephone information about their baby. For your baby’s safety and protection, we ask that you keep this code confidential and always have it available for all phone calls and visits. We realize that grandparents, other family members and friends may be concerned; however, we give information only to the parents in order to respect your baby’s privacy.